Cortical microstructural gradients capture memory network reorganization in temporal lobe epilepsy

• DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad125
• Publication Date: 2023-04-21T08:58:20Z
• Authors: Jessica Royer; Sara Larivière; Raul Rodriguez-Cr...; Donna Gift Cabalo; Shahin Tavakol; Hans Auer; Alexander Ngo; Bo-yong Park; Casey Paquola; Jonathan Smallwood; Elizabeth Jefferies; Lorenzo Caciagli; Andrea Bernasconi; Neda Bernasconi; Birgit Frauscher; Boris C Bernhardt
• Keywords: Brain Mapping; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe; Quality of Life; Humans; Brain; 610; Original Article; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/610

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), one of the most common pharmaco-resistant epilepsies, is associated with pathology paralimbic brain regions, particularly in mesiotemporal lobe. Cognitive dysfunction TLE frequent, and affects episodic memory. Crucially, these difficulties challenge quality life patients, sometimes more than seizures, underscoring need to assess neural processes cognitive improve patient management. Our work harnessed a novel conceptual analytical approach spatial gradients microstructural differentiation between cortical areas based on high-resolution MRI analysis. Gradients track region-to-region variations intracortical lamination myeloarchitecture, serving as system-level measure structural functional reorganization. Comparing cortex-wide 21 patients 35 healthy controls, we observed reorganization this gradient driven by reduced cortices remaining cortex marked abnormalities ipsilateral temporopolar dorsolateral prefrontal regions. Findings were replicated an independent cohort. Using post-mortem dataset, that vivo findings reflected topographical cytoarchitecture. We indeed found macroscale changes increased similarity primary sensory/motor Disease-related transcriptomics could furthermore show specificity our over other syndromes. Finally, dedifferentiation was network seen during memory paradigm correlated interindividual differences task accuracy. Collectively, showing pattern microarchitectural regions provide structurally-grounded explanation for large-scale characteristic TLE.